EXCLUSIVE

A-Rod's Ex-Wife Don't Blame Me For Not Working That's What He Wanted!!!

Alex Rodriguez's ex-wife, Cynthia, says he has NO business calling her out for not working because he's the one who demanded she leave the workforce in the first place.

Cynthia is firing back after A-Rod griped about her refusal to put her master's degree in psychology to work. It's just one of the reasons he wants to drastically reduce the $115k/month in child and spousal support he's been paying since their divorce in 2008.

Cynthia thinks the former MLB superstar is way off base with his claims, telling TMZ, "To ensure that our daughters had a stable upbringing, and given his extensive traveling, Alex requested that I discontinue working and make parenting my primary focus."

Our sources say Alex is pissed because he claims Cynthia now has millions in the bank, 3 homes and multiple cars. With his income reduced by 90 percent, due to retirement, A-Rod doesn't think he should have to bankroll Cynthia any longer.

In the statement, provided by her attorney, Maurice Kutner, Cynthia throws some shade at A-Rod too, telling us ... "I find it terribly disheartening, shocking and disappointing that Alex has resorted to reporting falsehoods. Why he seeks sympathy from the press and public baffles me."

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